Give Taiwanese beauty a chance, and you may just find some of the best formulated products out there. You see, Taiwan has a rich history in making cosmetics. For years, many international beauty brands have had their products formulated and manufactured by factories in Taiwan. With decades of experience in the beauty industry, and also a strong background in biotechnological and medical research, Taiwan definitely takes its beauty seriously.

But despite the quality and vast range of Taiwanese beauty products, not many people were as familiar with Taiwanese beauty as I’d thought. In my survey of friends and colleagues, no one could name more Taiwanese brands than Korean or Japanese ones.

Their reasons for it were largely similar: Taiwanese brands aren’t as heavily advertised in the English-speaking international market as their other Asian counterparts. Which means that for predominantly English-speaking folk like us (and maybe you), the language barrier can make it difficult to to discern which Taiwanese products are worth your time and money.

The Taiwan Beauty Alliance was formed in 2016, and rotates its members each year so different brands get their well-deserved time in the spotlight. An initiative like this to familiarise the non-Mandarin speaking world with the best of Taiwanese beauty is a great resource! I even had a chance to go to Taiwan to meet each brand in person and now I’m back to share my findings with you! (P.S. If it’s any indication, almost everyone I met in Taiwan had pretty flawless skin.)

Swipe on to discover the 12 Taiwanese beauty brands that are on this year’s Beauty Alliance list, and find out how you can even meet them for yourself!